GUNTHER’s place in WWE has become a major talking point following an unusual turn in his recent programming. After a run defined by high-level championship matches, punishing physicality, and victories over some of wrestling’s biggest names, the former World Heavyweight Champion has entered a storyline involving Danhausen. The contrast has prompted debate over whether WWE is using one of its most formidable performers in the strongest possible way.
The Miz does not share those concerns. Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Miz offered a firm defense of GUNTHER’s current direction and argued that the Danhausen angle can reveal another side of a character who has already established himself as one of WWE’s most credible in-ring threats.
“I think the way they’re utilizing GUNTHER... I cannot stand a monster that is just ‘Rawr rawr rawr rawr,’” Miz said. “It’s one note. Give me layers to a character. Give me layers.”
That perspective gets to the center of the conversation around GUNTHER. For much of his WWE run, his presentation has rested on consistency: he is stern, exacting, physically dominant, and deeply committed to treating every match as a fight. That formula has worked because GUNTHER has carried it with exceptional discipline. His aura has not depended solely on size or theatrical intimidation. Instead, it has been built through his ability to control a match, absorb punishment, and make every strike feel consequential.
For more background on this topic, read Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts Clarifies WWE Status, Says Autograph Work Does Not Mean He Is Under Contract.
Yet Miz’s argument is that a wrestler can lose something if that formula never changes. A dominant character who only appears in straightforward confrontations may remain credible, but may also become predictable. The Danhausen program, as unconventional as it may look on paper, creates a new setting in which GUNTHER has to respond to a different type of opponent and a different type of audience reaction.
Why Miz Sees Value in a Different Test
Miz pointed to GUNTHER’s previous marquee victories as proof that his place as a serious wrestler is already secure. Over roughly the last year and a half, GUNTHER has been credited with retiring Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles. Those accomplishments have put enormous weight behind his name and made the debate over his current program more intense. Fans who view him as a top-line attraction understandably expect his booking to consistently reflect that status.
But Miz stressed that GUNTHER’s work against Cena and Styles was already a showcase of what he can do in a traditional high-stakes wrestling environment.
“The way he did AJ and Cena were incredible matches. Unbelievable matches,” Miz said. “There is no one, I think, more talented, and people always talk about technical ability, but he is not only able to be technical in the ring, he’s able to listen to a crowd, understand his character, and know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.”
That is an important distinction. GUNTHER’s reputation is often framed around ring skill, his harsh style, and his ability to structure compelling physical matches. Miz, however, highlighted the wider skill set required of a major WWE performer. Reading a crowd, maintaining character, changing timing, and recognizing how much or how little to do in a moment are abilities that can determine whether a wrestler succeeds outside of an expected match format.
A storyline involving Danhausen asks different questions of GUNTHER than a standard rivalry with another similarly intense opponent would. Danhausen’s presentation brings comedy and unpredictability into the situation. The challenge is not merely to overpower him or outwrestle him. It is to remain unmistakably GUNTHER while operating in a segment that may be built around an entirely different tone.
For Miz, that is not a reason to worry. It is a chance for GUNTHER to prove his versatility.
“Can he do it with everybody? And this is his test,” Miz said. “This is another test for GUNTHER to showcase, ‘Hey, I may be in this comedy thing, but I can still make it look real and effortless and technical and be still the menacing GUNTHER that I need to be.’”
Maintaining the GUNTHER Identity
The biggest issue for viewers skeptical of the angle is whether comedy can dilute GUNTHER’s menace. WWE has spent considerable time establishing him as a competitor who brings seriousness to virtually every environment. His promos are controlled rather than flashy. His matches are methodical, often brutal, and built around the idea that he is systematically breaking down an opponent. A sudden shift too far toward comedy could create a disconnect between that identity and the image fans have been taught to take seriously.
Miz’s position is that the risk is worth taking precisely because GUNTHER does not need to abandon that identity. The key is not for GUNTHER to become a comedic character. It is for him to react to comedy in a way that exposes another kind of hostility. If the former champion can make a bizarre situation feel tense without changing who he is, then the story can broaden his presentation rather than weaken it.
That is where GUNTHER’s command of pacing may matter most. Comedy in wrestling often relies on timing, escalation, and sharp reactions. So does intimidation. A performer who can understand the crowd and the rhythm of a segment has a better chance of finding the point where humor ends and the threat of violence begins. Miz believes GUNTHER has the instincts to do that while keeping his work believable.
“I love layers to a character,” Miz said, while also acknowledging that his view may not be shared by everyone.
That willingness to embrace a less expected presentation is consistent with Miz’s broader point: a dominant wrestler should not be reduced to a single trait. WWE audiences have already seen GUNTHER thrive in elite singles matches. They have seen him prevail in contests designed to reinforce his toughness and technical credibility. The Danhausen program could now test whether he can occupy a different kind of story without losing any of the qualities that made him compelling in the first place.
Finn Bálor Brings a Serious Counterpoint
Even as the Danhausen issue has generated discussion, GUNTHER has also been dealing with Finn Bálor. That concurrent rivalry has given WWE another route for presenting GUNTHER in a more conventional, high-intensity conflict. Bálor revived his Demon persona on last week’s SmackDown in response to GUNTHER, bringing a dramatically different kind of opponent into the picture.
The Demon’s return provides a useful contrast to the Danhausen material. Where Danhausen adds an offbeat dynamic, Bálor’s Demon presentation is designed to increase the sense of danger and spectacle around a potential singles encounter. GUNTHER’s response to Bálor can reinforce the same hard-edged qualities some viewers fear could be overshadowed elsewhere, while the Danhausen story tests his ability to function in a more unpredictable environment.
A one-on-one match between GUNTHER and Bálor is expected to happen, though WWE has not announced a date. Until that match is made official, the precise shape of the situation remains uncertain. Still, the presence of Bálor means GUNTHER is not being defined by one storyline alone. He is positioned between two very different challenges: one that requires restraint and adaptability, and another that appears set to demand a direct confrontation with a revitalized rival.
Ilja Dragunov, a former GUNTHER rival, has been among those questioning the former champion’s booking in the Danhausen story. That reaction reflects the standard GUNTHER has set for himself. When a wrestler has been connected to retirements of Goldberg, Cena, and Styles, fans and peers will naturally measure every subsequent program against those enormous accomplishments.
Miz sees that expectation differently. Rather than treating GUNTHER’s established credibility as something that must be protected by avoiding every unusual situation, he views it as the foundation that allows GUNTHER to take on new challenges. If GUNTHER can remain authentic while moving through comedy, menace, technical wrestling, and spectacle, Miz believes the character will emerge with more depth rather than less.
Whether the Danhausen program ultimately convinces its critics will depend on how WWE develops it and how GUNTHER continues to handle the material. For now, Miz’s defense is clear: GUNTHER does not need to be a one-note monster to remain one of WWE’s most dangerous performers. In Miz’s view, showing new layers may be exactly what keeps the character from becoming predictable.
In pictures
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.